Madame Montoni’s Grievances
Alone with Emily and freed at last from her husband’s intimidating presence, Madame Montoni’s sufferings rise above her pride and she pours forth all her grievances. She bewails her lot as the most wretched of women, laments that she ever married Montoni, and bitterly declares that she could never have foreseen such a fate. Emily takes her hand and speaks with soft compassion, but Madame Montoni, impatient to unburden herself rather than to be consoled, will not be soothed and continues her exclamations of complaint.
The True State of Montoni’s Affairs
Through Madame Montoni’s ranting exclamations, Emily learns the particulars of her affliction. Montoni, she cries, deceived her in every respect, has taken her from her country and friends to imprison her in the castle, and is now trying to compel her to sign away her settlement, which she had prudently secured to herself. He had long since ruined his own fortune by play, lost what she brought him, and is now deeply in debt; the castle and the Venetian mansion are not truly his own. He has treated her with neglect and cruelty for refusing to relinquish her settlements, and she has borne his abuse meekly until now.
Emily Advises Prudence
When Madame Montoni declares her intention of telling Montoni his true character regardless of his threats, Emily seizes a pause in her aunt’s voice to counsel restraint. She warns that reproaches, however just, cannot punish Montoni but may provoke him to further violence. Speaking modestly and on her aunt’s own behalf, she advises that consulting prudence and attempting to conciliate Montoni would better serve her peace than further irritation. She adds that the situation may not be as desperate as it seems: Montoni may exaggerate his distress to gain possession of the settlement, and so long as the aunt retains it, she possesses a competence that may one day enable her to seek a separation.
Madame Montoni Rebukes Her Niece
Madame Montoni impatiently rejects Emily’s counsel. Declaring that this is no time for prudence when she is threatened with violence, she insists she will not submit to such usage and suspects Emily of wanting her to surrender her settlements. Mistaking Emily’s silence for indifference or contempt, she reproaches her niece with ingratitude and want of duty and feeling, accusing her of boasting sensibility that extends to no one but herself, and orders her from the room. Emily, with a mingled emotion of pity and contempt, immediately withdraws without replying.
Emily’s Anxious Reflections
In her own chamber, Emily yields to mournful reflections occasioned by her aunt’s disclosures. The Italian stranger’s conversation with Valancourt in France returns to her, and Montoni’s broken fortunes, as well as the darker hints of his character, seem amply confirmed. The present style of his living, the number of his servants, and the expense of fortifying the castle all deepen her astonishment. Her anxiety for her aunt and for herself increases; assertions of Morano previously attributed to interest or resentment now return to her mind with the weight of truth, and she no longer doubts that Montoni once agreed to give her to the Count for money and now designs to dispose of her to a richer suitor. Morano’s wild accusation of murder also recurs, and she shudders to think she is in such a man’s power.
Emily Seeks Solace in Music
Finding that reflection can neither release her from her situation nor enable her to bear it with greater fortitude, Emily takes down a volume of her favourite Ariosto, but his wild imagery and rich invention cannot long enchant her attention, and his spells fail to reach her heart. She puts aside the book and takes up her lute, for it is seldom that her sufferings refuse to yield to the magic of sweet sounds. The narrative recalls that her grief sometimes borders on excess, recalling a time when she mourned her father and heard midnight strains floating by the convent window in Languedoc on the night of his death; such is the dangerous power of music over her.
The original text of this work is in the public domain. This page focuses on a guided summary article, reading notes, selected quotes, and visual learning materials for educational purposes.